Artificial leg attaching means



March 18, 1941. E. R. DYE

ARTIFICIAL LEG ATTAGHING MEANS Filed Nov. 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet- 1jfikwior I [dawn ED ye, mm 55 0 7' 776 March 18, 1941; E. R. DYE

ARTIFICIAL L3G ATTACHING HEANS Filed Nov. 16, 1938 2 shee zs-shegt 2 E.Z'wuewz'for award 6396,

48 Ear veyfs Patented Mar. 18, 1 941 UNITED STATES ARTIFICIAL LEGATTACHING Edward R. Dye, Monticello, Ind.; Edith F. Dye v I executrix ofEdward R. Dye, deceased Application November 16, 1938, Serial No.240,627-

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for attaching and retaining in positionartificial legs for belowthe-knee amputations and has for a primaryobject the provision of attaching means in such form that there will beno gripping thereby such as would cause a restriction or cutting off ofthe blood circulation and further, that will permit a perfect relaxationwhen the knee is flexed such as in the sitting position.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a light anddurable attaching means which may be readily engaged and disengaged andbe confined entirely about the knee.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those versed in the art in the following description of 'theinvention as illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of astructureembodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a top plan view;

Fig. 3, a rear elevation;

Fig. 4, a front view on an enlarged scale of the attaching meansdisengaged from the artificial member;

Fig. 5, a side elevation of a slightly modified form;

Fig. 6, a top plan view of the modified form;

Fig. 7, a rear elevation of that modified form; and

Fig. 8, a front View on an enlarged scale of the modified form ofattaching means disengaged from the artificial member.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews in the drawings.

. Referring to the drawings, to that form as shown in Figs. 1-4, theusual artificial member ID is formed to be open from its upper end andprovided with a cavity formed to receive snugly the stump l I of the legof the user. The artificial member I0 per se does not constitute theinvention which resides instead in the peculiar means for attaching thismember ID to the leg l2.

In the form shown in Figs. 1-4, I employ two separate straps generallydesignated by the numerals l3 and M. The strap [3 has an end l5 which ispermanently secured preferably to the side of the member ID by anysuitable means such as a screw H5. The end 15 is preferably providedwith a plurality of holes through which the screw l6 may be passed inorder to secure proper adjustment in conformity with the shape and sizeof the leg l2. From the point of adjustment as designated by the screwIS, the strap I3 is carried upwardly and over to the center of the legimmediately behind the kneecaptopass freely through a loop I! from theunder side thereof and then is turned backwardly to come back down onthe same side of the leg and around under the leg toterminate by an endl8 on the. 5 opposite side of the leg to engage over a button l9 fixedto the member ID. The end I8 is preferably provided with a plurality ofholes in spaced apart relation so that this end may be adjustablyengaged with the button [9 to secure the desired 10 degree, of pressureabout the leg l2.

In similar fashion the strap I4 is secured by an end 20 on the side ofthe artificial member H) by any suitable means such as a screw 2| whichis substantially diametrically opposite the screw IS on the other side.This strap preferably is made to be adjustable in that there areaplurality of holes through the end portion I through which the screw 2|may be passed. From the end portion 20, the strap I4 is carried up- 20wardly and over the leg to come up through the loop I! and then iscarried over and back down around the same side of the leg 12 and aroundthereunder to come out on the other side by the end 22 adjacent the endl5 of the strap l3. Here this end portion 22 is adjustably secured to abutton 23 by engaging the button through any one of a plurality of holesprovided in that portion.

The lengths of the two straps l3 and I4 are substantially equal so as tobring the loop I! in a central position over the forward side of the legl2 immediately behindor above the kneecap portion. By the arrangementabove described, the two straps l3 and I4 cross each other cen- 5 trallyof the leg immediately above or at the upper end of the artificialmember H). In addition to the positioning of the loop I! above thekneecap as indicated, the crossing arrangement of the straps permits aside engagement with the leg behind the knee joint by the portion of therespective straps which turn around back and downwardly from that toploop so that the normally bulging part on the side of the knee asdesignated by the character A, Fig. 1, is below or forwardly of thosestrap portions.

Upon standing erect, the user in straightening. out the knee joint willdraw the straps into a rather taut condition, the degree of whichdepends upon the adjustments above indicated in reference to the buttons[9 and 23 as well as the initial attaching screws l6 and 2|. Theartificial limb I0 is thus held securely in position on the stump. H andcannot slide off by reason of the peculiar engagement about the legimmediately above the knee. This is of particular significance not onlyfrom the point of comfort but also to prevent an ultimate shrinking ofthe stump ll. When the knee is completely flexed to the sittingposition, the straps l3 and I4 are quite free so that there is nopressure whatsoever exerted thereby, and yet in the ordinary flexing ofthe knee, such as in walking, there is suflicient gripping of the leg aswill prevent any tendency of the artificial member to Work or slip offthe stump II.

In the modified form of the invention as illustrated in the drawings inFigs, 5-8, the same features are preserved. In this form, two straps 24and 25 are employed to have respective ends 26 and 21 engaged toopposite sides of the artificial member Ill. The straps 24 and 25 arecarried from those side engagements upwardly and over the leg l2immediately behind the kneecap 28 to cross one over the other and tocontinue on around and down under the leg to again cross each otherbehind the. leg substantially at the top of the artificial member I0 andhave their respective end portions 29: and 30 come around forwardly toengage over buttons secured on the sides of the member Hi. It is to benoted that in this form, the ends of the same-strap are in juxtapositionone with the other on the same side of the member ID. Preferably the twostraps 24 and 25 are secured permanently one to the other at theircrossing over the top side of the leg by any suitable means such as arivet 3|. In this form, all of the attachment is made through selectiveengagement of the end portions of the respective straps with the screwsand buttons provided by the member Hi. In the first form described, theeffective meeting place of the straps as defined by the loop I! may bechanged somewhat by varying. the pull of one strap in relation to theother. The first form is a trifle more flexible in use although bothforms give ideal service and particularly give freedom to the leg towhich the artificial member is applied.

The straps above referred to in each instance are preferably made out oftextile fabric such as cotton or linen webbing so as to be substantiallynon-stretchable. However, it is permissible to employ material that isslightly yielding but not to such an extent that will require binding ofthe leg to such degree that blood circulation will be retarded. Leather,of course, may be substituted for the webbing although the webbing issuperior in that it is initially somewhat more flexible.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the best form asnow known to me, it is obvious that structural variations may beemployed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I,therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond thelimitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. For securing an artificial leg for a belowthe-knee amputation to thestump of a. natural leg wherein the stump is received within a socket ofthe artificial leg, a pair of straps each extending from a central frontzone to diverge outwardly and downwardly to terminate in an end each forattachment on opposing sides of the artificial leg, and also extendingfrom that zone rearwardly and diverging laterally and thence aroundinwardly to cross freely one over the other substantially centrallybehind said strap ends and extending forwardly in spaced apart relationto terminate each by an end for attachment on said opposing sides of theartificial leg.

2. For securing: an artificial leg for a belowthe-knee amputation to thestump of a natural leg wherein the stump is received within a socket ofthe artificial leg, a pair of straps each extending from a central frontzone to diverge outwardly and downwardly to terminate in an end each forattachment on opposing sides of the artificial leg, and also extendingfrom that zone rearwardly and diverging laterally and thence aroundinwardly to cross freely one over the other substantially centrallybehind said strap ends and extending forwardly in spaced apart relationto terminate each by an-end for attachment on said opposing sides of theartificial leg, and a loop through which said straps slidingly pass,

. said loop defining said zone.

3. For securing an artificial leg for a belowthe-knee amputation to thestump of a natural leg wherein the stumpis received within a socket ofthe artificial leg, a pair of straps each extending from a central frontzone to diverge outwardly and downwardly to terminate in an end each forattachment on opposing sides of the artificial leg, and also extendingfrom that zone rearwardly and diverging laterally and thence aroundinwardly to cross freely one over the other substantially centrallybehind said strap ends and extending forwardly in spaced apart relationto terminate each by an end for attachment on said opposing sides of theartificial leg, said straps being secured one tothe other at said zone.

EDWARD R, DYE.

